Memory lives in the air

Scents carry a significant amount of memories. I’m not just saying this because I believe it — it’s scientifically proven. Smell is the only sense directly linked to our limbic system, where all our memories and emotions are stored. That’s why the smell of crayons immediately takes me back to kindergarten.

Because of this, I’m very careful about the perfumes I wear for an occasion. I have some scents reserved for work, while others are for going out. I’ll never forget that I once got in trouble at an internship for a mistake I made, and every time I spritzed my recently bought My Burberry perfume, I was reminded of that moment. Fortunately, I was still within the return window, so that bottle made a trip back to Sephora. You quite literally live and learn.

I also made the mistake of wearing a brand-new perfume to a funeral. Every time I sprayed it afterward, I was reminded of that day, so I eventually passed it on to a friend.

Every whiff of diesel gas reminds me of road trips to Mexico. After my parents and I passed immigration inspection, I’d see the buses go by along with the “Welcome to Sonora” signs. While I don’t recommend sniffing it intentionally, to me that smell meant I was already home. Sometimes I’ll catch it at a gas station, and my mind goes straight back to Mexico.

The smell of Smarties candy takes me to elementary school, where one of my teachers’ classrooms always carried that scent.

I’m no longer the avid Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret customer I was as a teenager, but whenever I smell Warm Vanilla Sugar or Warm & Cozy body sprays, I time travel right back to high school. I used to bathe myself in those mists at any given second, especially after PE. I’ve grown out of them, but I’d say they defined an era of my life.

My favorite scents vary over time. I was recently reminded that I wore Baby Versace as a toddler — I guess I knew who I was from an early age. I’ve always been a fan of floral notes, then I leaned into gourmand and vanilla. Now I’m a mix of both. For spring and summer, I opt for florals because I want to smell like a garden. I have a running joke with a friend that everything I like is either limited edition or discontinued, and she’s usually right. One of my favorite perfumes of all time is Haven by Lily Aldridge. It’s such a beautiful and clean scent, like a bouquet of flowers. It’s discontinued, so I’ve been desperate enough to buy extras on eBay. My second favorite is Marc Jacobs’ Daisy Eau So Sweet, which smells like a flower and candy combined.

For winter, I want to smell like either a pastry or expensive wood — there’s no in between. One of my favorite gourmand scents is Ariana Grande’s Mod Vanilla. It’s sweet but not too generic. I’ve also come to love santal, and there’s nothing like Tom Ford’s Santal Blush. It’s not for everyone, but I think it smells wonderful. (It also happens to be Taylor Swift’s signature scent.) I reserve it for winter because that’s when it shines. In a way, I measure the calendar year by scents.

They carry fond memories, as well as some I’d rather not relive. I wore YSL’s Black Opium at my high school graduation. It’s a lovely gourmand I don’t wear anymore, but every time I smell it, I think back to that time in my life. Certain cleaning supplies remind me of my grandmother’s house. Although years have passed, one whiff can still take me home in an instant.

Scents remind us that memory isn’t just something we carry in our minds, but in the air around us. They linger, they return, and they bring the past rushing back in ways we can’t control. Some are sweet, some are heavy, but all remind us that we’ve lived. And just like Dorothy’s shoes, it only takes three clicks — and suddenly, I’m home (or a moment in time.)